


dream a little dream

by cvblegirl



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Hannibal Lecter, Alternate Universe - 1930s, Eventual Smut, Hannibal Lecter is Not a Cannibal, M/M, Mob boss Hannibal, Omega Will Graham, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 04:12:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18296600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cvblegirl/pseuds/cvblegirl
Summary: Will just wants an escape from his harsh reality. Hannibal offers so much more.





	dream a little dream

**Author's Note:**

> This idea took hold of me, and I spent the enitre day writing this. I don't see this being a long fic in terms of chapters, but I will definetly be writing long chapters, or at least long for me! I haven't written this much in months, so I'm very proud.
> 
> Please excuse my feeble grasp of the mid-1930s culture, with the added bonus of omegaverse. 
> 
> Fic named after, and heavily inspired by the song "Dream a Little Dream of Me" specifically Doris Day's version (which ironically wasn't recorded until the 1950s).

Will grew accustomed to the heavy smoke that filled the air, and the sour smell of booze. Every night was the same, for the most part. He would arrive at the dimly lit bar, would change into his nicest suit; a suit that had taken him two-weeks of saving and eating every other day in order to afford, and play the piano with whichever singer was hired that night. Occasionally, he’d get a few rowdy patrons, but the sound of fights breaking out didn’t frighten him as much as it did when he first started. Broken glass and the snapping of wooden chairs over drunken bodies were the least of his concerns.

Will was not only an Omega, but an unmated one to boot. His monthly supply of suppressants were the only thing that kept him relatively safe from any unwanted attention. Will made sure to keep as unassuming a profile as he could, letting his dark curly hair reign free over his face with a shaggy beard to match. He kept his distance, kept his eyes downcast, and only spoke when absolutely necessary. At 22 years of age, Will had learned that it was best to hide as much of himself as possible. 

All Will wanted was to have enough money to leave this god-forsaken city, leave behind all of its corruption and violence. Maybe move to the countryside, buy a few animals and try his luck with farming. Or, perhaps buy a small cottage by the ocean far away from the big city. Will closed his eyes, almost smelling the fresh salty air.

“Whatcha daydreamin’ about, darlin’?” The soft voice nearly had Will out of his skin. He opened his eyes and peeked up at Alana Bloom, the singer he would be performing with tonight. Alana grinned down at him, arms crossed over her chest.

“No-nothing.” Will mumbled out, sighing when Alana gave a little chuckle.

“Open skies and clean air, huh? Can’t really blame you there.” Alana was one of the few people Will had grown close to, one of the few to know of his yearning to be out of his miserable life. They’d bonded over similar fates. Alana had shown Will the scars being a woman in her position had earned her. Will admired how brave and resilient she was to come back to this life after such a horrifying experience.

 _“It had been in my early days. Had been a little too trustin' and naive back then.”_ Alana had said, the sadness in her voice hard to disguise. Will had opened up to her that day. Had told her all about his _condition,_ the fear that had paralyzed him the day he’d gone into heat because he hadn’t been able to buy his suppressants. In hushed tones, Will explained how he’d nearly blacked out when his head had been smashed against the floor, the heavy body above him grunting and pawing at him. He remembered screaming and crying until finally the body was yanked off of him. He’d been fired from that job for _inciting an Alpha_. That had been the day he’d realized his place in this world. He was a commodity, expendable, and it didn’t matter how unfair it was, it just was.

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.” Will finally spoke, eager to change the subject of conversation.

“Neither did I. They called me this mornin’.” Alana sat beside him, voice lowering. “Apparently, there’s some big hot-shot comin’ tonight. Supposed to be bringin’ in a lot of dough.”

It made sense why they’d ask Alana to come in tonight then, she was the best singer in the city. Will hoped everything went smoothly tonight. Having a big-shot mobster come in could either go one of two ways, and Will would hate to be caught in the middle of any unnecessary violence. With a small smile, and a peck to his cheek, Alana retreated to her dressing room to get ready for her set.

Through the walls of his own dressing room, Will heard the lively sounds of the jazz group that would be playing first. The tune was upbeat and carefree. Since he had plenty of time before he’d have to go on, Will decided to sneak a quick peek at the band. He followed the music until he arrived at the back of the stage, concealed behind a thick red curtain. His eyes immediately fell to the band, admiring how effortlessly they worked in sync with each other. He’d always been enraptured by music, and found that there was no deeper connection than that of a musician and his instrument. He felt the same way when he saw Alana use her voice to bring music to life. It was simply beautiful.

These were the few moments where he found he could truly appreciate his own existence. If only until the music stopped.

So caught in his own little world was Will, that he failed to notice that he was visible to a few of the audience members. One in particular whose eyes stayed fixated on Will. It wasn’t until the band’s set was nearly over, that Will turned his attention to the audience, catching the intense gaze directed right at him. Dark eyes set in an expressionless face, slicked back hair, and a graceful hand that brought the tip of a cigar to a downturned mouth. The older man was dripped in wealth, from the perfectly tailored suit to the gold pocket watch glinting off his chest. When Will realized he was still staring at the perfectly dressed stranger, his face heated and he quickly ducked away, scurrying to his room until it was his time to play.

Somehow time went by faster than he’d liked, and Will found himself going back onto the stage. He trailed behind Alana, who was dressed in a fitted bright red dress with red lipstick to match. Surely, she’d keep everyone’s attention for the rest of the night.

“Let’s leave’em with their hearts out, darlin’.” Alana winked at him as he sat behind the piano. He managed a weak smile. The spotlight flashed to life, the curtain was raised, and Will began to play.

“Stars shinin’ bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’.”

Alana’s voice filled the entire smoke-filled bar, and a genuine smile slipped into Will’s face. His fingers expertly hit each note, the gentle tune mixing intricately with Alana’s beautiful voice. This is where he felt most comfortable, most at peace. He felt untouchable whenever he played, as if he could take on the world. He knew that it was the same feeling Alana felt when she sang. They were one in the same, partners of a shared passion.

When the song ended the crowd broke into applause and cheers. Alana laughed and blew kisses into the crowd, paying special attention to the influential guests in their midst. Will dared to look up finding that the strange man was no longer staring at him, instead his head was inclined toward the person next to him. Will recognized the other man from an article on a newspaper he’d read a few days ago, as well as the blonde woman beside him. They were the Verger twins, an influential family whose charitable donations to the city kept their ties with the mafia only in hushed whispers in seedy bars. Will had never seen them in person, he never thought he would.

By the end of the night, Will was exhausted. Alana echoed his sentiment, her voice slightly hoarse after all the singing she’d done.

“I wonder who that fellow with the Vergers was? I’d never seen him 'round here.” Alana said once they’d made it to the backrooms. “He sure seemed…” Alana waved her hand in the air, not finding the correct word she wanted to use.

“Strange?” Will supplied, remembering the dark eyes on him. Alana hummed.

“Sorta. He was a looker, though.” Alana laughed, and Will didn’t know how to reply to that. While Will couldn’t deny that the man’s looks were above average, he seemed far too intimidating for Will to find him the least bit appealing.

Their chit-chat came to an end when one of the waiters interrupted. His wide, round eyes and thinly pressed mouth spoke volumes.

“There’s a table requesting to see you, um, both of you.” The boy looked between both of them, hands clasped tightly in front of him.

“Both?” Will croaked, brows furrowing in confusion. It was common for Alana to be called out, but why on earth would they want him? Alana, on the other hand, grinned from ear to ear.

“Thank goodness!” She said, winding her arm around Will’s. “I would've hated to be out there alone. I’ll feel much safer with you there.”

Will supposed that life granted them small mercies once in a while.

When they arrived at the table, the blonde woman was the first to greet them. She smiled and introduced the two men with her. Mason Verger offered an overly cheery smile, the glinting of his teeth having an unsettling feeling instead of a friendly one. The other man, introduced as Hannibal Lecter, gave Alana a respectful bow of his head, offering words of praise for her performance. When he turned toward Will he did the same, but there was something in his mannerof staring that caused Will to fidget in his seat. Will had never been good at communicating with others, and preferred to be left alone, yet this man kept directing his questions at Will.

“You are so well versed in the piano. At what age did you begin to play?” The man’s accented voice was quite unique to Will's ears.

“I...um, young, I suppose. Can’t really remember at what age.” Will answered, staring down at his interlocked fingers. He knew everyone that the table was staring at him, and all he wanted to do was run home.

“Will’s a bit shy in a crowd. There’s no denyin’ how talented he is. I’m a very lucky girl to be able to have him.” Alana said, placing her hand on top of his. Will relaxed under the heat of her hand.

“Oh, I didn’t know you two were involved.” Margot Verger was the next to speak. That broke Will's building tension, he couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped past his lips. Him and Alana? Involved?

“Oh no, no. Me and Will, we’re just the closest of friends.” Alana replied with a laugh of her own. Will looked up in time to see Margot’s eyes fixed squarely on Alana’s cheerful face. Mason looked disinterested in the entire conversation and was instead eyeing the band that had began to play next, and Hannibal….

Hannibal was once again staring straight at Will. It was all Will could do not to jump out of his seat and dash back to his dressing room. Because the way Hannibal was staring at him made it seem like he _knew_ . Like he could _smell_   Will, really smell him. It was impossible, of course. The steady flow of suppressants he’d been taking guaranteed that his Omega scent would be hidden. Even if Hannibal were an Alpha, and Will cursed the fact that he was unable to smell the scent on him due to the suppressants’ side-effects, it would be impossible for him to discern Will’s smell...right?

“I apologize, but I-I need to go.” Will stood abruptly, cutting off Margot’s and Alana’s conversation. Despite the fear of disrespecting their guests, and the consequences it could bring to himself, Will rushed out of sight. So in a hurry he was, that he didn’t even pick up his pay for the night. All Will wanted was to go home and curl himself in bed.

He ran home, the cool night air feeling like relief to his quickly heating skin. Embarrassment washed over him, and stayed with him until he finally fell asleep that night.

 

Morning came with regret, and the realization that he may have been overreacting. Alana seemed to agree the next time they met, a few days after the incident. She explained in grand detail how she’d had to apologize profusely to the Verger twins and Mr. Lecter.

“He was such a charmer, Will. Told me to not worry ‘bout nothin’. That he was sorry for makin’ you uncomfortable.” Alana gushed. Will nodded along to her story, but stopped her when something she said registered in his brain.

“He said he was sorry?” Will’s mouth tugged into a frown when Alana nodded.

“So then he was starin’ at me too much. Why else would he say he was sorry?” Will’s frown deepened. Alana waved off his concern.

“He was just curious ‘bout you, Will. Besides, maybe he was starin’ ‘cause of that mop of hair on your face.” She chided playfully. “You should really consider cuttin’ that hair of yours, and that ghastly beard.”

Will ran a hand through his unruly curls, not entirely convinced his hair was the reason for such unwarranted attention. He’d thought of cutting it plenty of times, same with shaving off his facial hair since it usually garnered him judgmental stares, but the less people he attracted the better for him.

Their conversation dwindled when it was their turn to take the stage again. Will was grateful for the next minutes where he could just play and forget about the world around him. The crowd was livelier today, so the set Alana had chosen were songs that were more fast-paced and upbeat. Some members of the earlier band had stayed to help with the accompanying music. They played for an hour or so, their breaks long enough for them to get water and a few calming breaths before starting the next song. Will savored every minute of it.

When they finished, with the roar of the approving audience, Will thanked the other musicians as best he could. He’d made it halfway to the backrooms when another waiter came to fetch him.

“Alana is still with the rest of the band backstage.” Will said before the boy could say anything.

“Mr. Lecter is requesting to see you.” Will froze. He hadn’t seen Hannibal Lecter in the crowd.

“He’s in the first booth.” The boy supplied, scurrying back to work.

Will took a deep breath and made his way toward the requesting table. When he arrived to the first booth, one of the only four tables in the nightbar to offer some privacy, he was greeted with the sight of Hannibal sipping from his tumblr of brown liquor.

“Good evening, Will. Please join me.” Hannibal said once he saw Will, motioning to the seat opposite of him. Will did so, rather awkwardly.

“Would you like a drink?” Hannibal asked, already motioning to the waiter in charge of their table. Will quickly shook his head.

“N-no, thank you.” Will detested the smell and taste of alcohol. There’s a reason why it had been illegal for such a long time, frankly Will wished it had remained so, but all Prohibition had accomplished was make criminals richer.

“Water, then.” Hannibal said, sending the waiter off to fetch him a glass.

The scene was reminiscent of a few days ago, Will fidgeting under an intense gaze. Only this time Will was sure the consequences of him running off again would be worse than humiliation.

“First off, I wanted to apologize if I had made you feel uncomfortable the night we met. It certainly wasn’t my intention.” The sincerity in the man’s voice had Will looking up at him. “I was simply curious about you. Seeing someone so young play so aptly is rather impressive, considering I doubt you had any sort of formal training.”

Will felt his cheeks flush at the compliment, and the implication. He didn’t usually converse with people enough to get reminded of how low his class was, of how apparent it was.

“I didn’t have trainin’, just sorta picked it up.” Will mumbled out. The waiter returned then, placing a glass of water in front of Will and another drink for Hannibal.

“That is extraordinary indeed.” Hannibal said, and again Will’s face grew uncomfortably hot. Will picked up the glass of water with both hands, drinking half of it in a few seconds.

“The other thing I wanted to speak with you about was a business proposition.”

Time seemed to slow, and Will had to place the glass of water back on the table for fear that it would slip past his hands.

“What sorta business?” Will was amazed that he could speak at all, giving how dry his throat was. He tried to control the urgent shaking of his leg under the table, all of his nerves on high alert.

“I opened up my own restaurant in the city, and I’d like to have a pianist perform during the evenings. The atmosphere would be different than the one here, and on certain nights Ms. Bloom could join you if she isn’t otherwise engaged.” Hannibal continued, while all Will could do was sit there with wide eyes and parted lips.

“I’m prepared to offer you double whatever it is they pay you here. You don’t have to give me your answer tonight, so don’t worry about making a decision right--”

“I’ll do it.” Will interrupted, feeling as if he was flying.

“When do I start?” Will couldn’t help but smile at the older man, joy bubbling in his chest. Hannibal chuckled, the sound rich and deep.

“As soon as you want.” Hannibal replied, eyes never once leaving the elated expression on Will’s face. Will was too preoccupied daydreaming of what his future could hold to notice, or even care.


End file.
